The Spa Island Arc
by XFangHeartX
Summary: After their whole ordeal on Thriller Bark, the Straw Hats decide to take some rest and relaxation on Spa Island, but when Foxy the Silver Fox returns to make mischief, their vacation could be cut short. (Pre-timeskip. Luffy/Nami.) Read and review, and no flames or hate please.
1. The Return of Foxy the Silver Fox

One Piece: The Spa Island Arc

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

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Summary- After their whole ordeal on Thriller Bark, the Straw Hats decide to take some rest and relaxation on Spa Island, but when Foxy the Silver Fox returns to make mischief, their vacation could be cut short. (Pre-timeskip. Luffy/Nami.)

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NOTE: I promised one of my fans, gamePsycho11, that I'd do the Spa Island Arc. I know it's a bit passed that point, but I figured "Eh, might as well. It does seem fun." But I promise I'll get back to the Fishman Island Adventure. Stay tuned!

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**Ch. 1- The Return of Foxy the Silver Fox**

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A beautiful sunny day in the Grand Line. A beautiful blue sea could be seen for miles around. On an island, which looked like more like a giant tower in the sea, a familiar ship has docked there.

It is none other than the _Thousand Sunny_, home to the Straw Hat Pirates.

It has been at least 2 weeks since the whole incident on _Thriller Bark_, and Brook has become a proud member of the crew. While they were sailing, the Straw Hats happened to come across this island, which is known as Spa Island, a popular resort and spa, as its name implies. Nami had decided that it would be a nice chance for everyone to have a little vacation, to which they agreed. Thus, the Straw Hats stopped here for a bit of rest and relaxation.

At one of the nearby pools, Nami, who is wearing a pink two-piece bikini and, unsurprisingly, Luffy's straw hat, is lying in a lawn chair with Robin, who is wearing a white bikini top with pink frills, a light yellow sarong with purple diamonds, and a pair of shades.

Nami stretched her arms and let out a pleasant noise.

"This is the life," she said. "Don't you think, Robin?"

"Indeed," Robin said. "We should take vacations more often."

"You said it," Nami agreed.

"Enjoying yourselves, ladies?"

Nami looked over to see a skinny man with a white shirt, a red bowtie, and a gray vest suit that goes over the shirt, and a pair black trousers, plus a pair of glasses with red frames. His hair is dark blonde, and he also has a thin, swirl-y mustache.

"Yes," Nami said. "This is a really nice establishment you've got here, sir."

"Girugirugirugiru," the man chortled. "Of course, miss. Spa Island is a very popular resort here in the Grand Line. Here on Spa Island we have 10 heated pools…"

As he said this, we see Sanji floating through another pool…leering at two beautiful girls.

"3 flowing pools, 3 diving pools…"

At a diving pool, Usopp is seen on the high-dive with Chopper watching him. As the sniper prepared to dive, Chopper gasped and covered his eyes…only for Usopp to run down to the lower diving board and jump off there, but the little reindeer was fooled into thinking he made the dive, anyway, and applauded his "amazing feat".

"Waterfalls used for the sake of meditation…"

Zoro is sitting underneath a waterfall, eyes closed and arms in his lap.

"…as well as cola baths, milk baths, and even peanut butter baths. There are over 50 varieties spas available here."

Franky is seen sitting in a bubbling pool of cola, whistling to himself, while Brook sits outside of a milk bar, letting out a belch after he downed a bottle of milk, and Blizzard came out of a pool of sticky, but tasty peanut butter, licking off the creamy spread as he did.

We then see another pool with a ping-pong table, as well as a roulette table.

"And for those who enjoy playing games, we also have a ping-pong pool, as well as a casino pool."

We then switch to a restaurant-like room, filled with all sorts of food, and Luffy, who is wearing a scuba mask, a dog tag, a pair of red swimming trunks, and two inner tubes, drools at the side with bugged-out eyes.

"Also, in regards to food, we have the finest chefs providing large portions of their specialties in the restaurant."

We then go back to Nami, Robin, and the man, who is brushing his mustache with his fingers.

"Here on Spa Island, we delight in catering to every whim of our weary traveling patrons," said the man. "Especially I, Doran, since I am the owner of this establishment. Lucky patrons are known to see candy raining down from the clouds, as well as circular rainbows."

"Oh, rainbows huh?" Nami asked. "You mean like those natural occurrences that are often called the 'Gem of the Sea'?"

"Nobody has proven its existence for many years," Robin said. "At least, that's what I've heard."

"Indeed," the man, known as Doran said. "That's why I said 'lucky patrons', you see."

Nami suddenly looked up to the sky.

"Is something the matter?" Doran asked.

"Well…I think we should be expecting raining candy, sometime soon," Nami said.

"Huh?" asked Doran. "Girugirugiru! Surely, you jest miss!"

Robin took a sip of her drink before she looked at Doran.

"Since you set up your resort here in the Grand Line," she began, "I bet you've had some problems, haven't you?"

"Girugirugiru," Doran chortled. "Well, over anything else, we here at Spa Island are proud to claim a 10 billion Berry profit each year. Also, we are officially recognized by the World Government as a resort. Here, there is nothing to fear. The security is highly sophisticated and efficient, so even civilians can relax and enjoy themselves."

"This place makes 10 billion Berries every year?!" Nami questioned in shock.

Doran then stood in between the two women and whispered in Robin's ear, "That especially goes for pirates, too. Girugirugiru."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Robin said, smiling.

"Forgive me if I happened to ruin the mood," said Doran. "As long as they pay, even rogues and pirates are valued guests here! Good day, ladies. Girugirugirugiru!"

With that, Doran walked away, leaving the two female Straw Hats to enjoy the rest of their sunbathing.

"…You two are rather alike, don't you think?" Robin asked.

Nami sat up on her chair with Berry signs in her eyes.

"10 billions Berries~!" she swooned. "Money, money, money~!"

Robin only chuckled.

"Hey, Nami!"

Nami looked over to the wading pools and saw Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper there.

"Nami, look at me!" Luffy called. "Are you watching?!"

"Yes, honey!" Nami reassured. "I'm watching!"

Luffy grinned before he, Usopp, and Chopper faced forward…facing three bars of soap. Luffy thought it'd be fun if he took the soap from the _Sunny_ and used them to play with in the pool.

Blizzard, who had licked all the peanut butter off his fur, is sitting nearby, watching the Immature Trio. He is now dressed in a red shirt with a sunflower pattern on it, as well as a blue headband, giving his hair a spiky look.

_These three are just asking for a one way ticket to pain,_ Blizzard thought before he let out a lazy yawn.

"Ready…" Chopper began.

"Steady…" Usopp added.

"GO!" Luffy shouted.

Soon, the three were off, and jumped onto the bars of soap on one foot, each! The trio slid across the pool, laughing the whole way. As they did, someone watched them nearby. It is a little girl with light brown hair done up in a bun, as well as bright, brown eyes, as well as a yellow dress with a four-leaf clover printed on it. Sitting on her shoulder looked like some sort of raccoon, but it appeared to have fins on its tail and head.

As Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper continued to slide, they quickly got out of control and ended up slipping and falling into the pool…on their heads.

The girl snickered at their expense, while Blizzard sighed in exasperation.

_I knew it,_ he thought. _What a bunch of clowns._

"Those idiots," Nami muttered before she continued relaxing. "I still can't get over the fact that I'm dating one of them."

"Beggars can't be choosers, they say," Robin said.

"…I guess not," Nami sighed. "Although, I didn't actually beg for Luffy."

Robin just chuckled.

Just then, a huge dark cloud appeared in the sky, and not long after, tiny drops of yellow, green, pink, and blue began to fall from the cloud!

"Huh?" Luffy asked. "What's this stuff?"

Chopper caught one of the drops…and then popped it in his mouth.

"Oh! It's candy! It's raining candy!" he exclaimed.

"Seriously?!" Luffy asked as he caught some in his hands.

"It's not windy, and it's only falling in this spot!" Usopp said, catching some in his mouth. "Lucky us!"

"Super lucky~!" Luffy cheered as he began to shove handfuls of candy into his mouth.

"Oh, Luffy!" Nami called. "Don't eat too much candy! You know how your stomach gets when you eat too many sweets!"

Unfortunately, Nami's warning came a bit too late. Luffy suddenly felt his stomach churning after he ate his tenth handful of candy, and he started groaning in pain.

"Ugh…I don't feel so good~!" he complained.

"Are you stupid or something?!" Usopp questioned.

"I tried to warn you!" Nami called.

After getting a belly rub from Nami and some stomachache medicine from Chopper, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and even Blizzard decided to try the water slide next. Naturally, Luffy wanted to try the biggest, most twisty one, despite his friends' objections. Soon, the four were sliding down the slide, screaming their heads off. Well, howling in Blizzard's case.

_I don't know how the hell I let you talk me into this!_ the wolf-dog thought.

As the four Straw Hats are sliding, they spotted the little girl from earlier, riding on what looked like a little Yagara Bull. In fact, they were so distracted, they ended up landing in the water below the slide, face-first, and once again, the girl laughed at their expense.

"You guys aren't very bright, are you?" she asked them.

The boys pulled themselves out of the water and shook themselves dry, but then they spotted the Yagara Bull sitting by the girl.

"What the hell are you?!" Usopp questioned.

"One of those Horse Fish things?" Luffy asked.

Suddenly, **POOF!** In a cloud of pink smoke, the Yagara Bull disappeared, but now, the raccoon-like stood in its place.

"Nuki!" it chirped as it jumped on the girl's shoulder.

"This is Nukky," said the girl. "He's a Sea Raccoon. He can turn into anything!"

"Nuki! Nukiki!" Nukky chirped as he transformed into a penguin, then a little red bird, much to the boys' amazement.

"Wow!" Usopp exclaimed.

"That is so cool!" Luffy said.

"Nuki! Nukiki!" Nukky squeaked.

"He says, 'This is my Master, Lina,'" Chopper translated.

"Huh?!" the girl, known as Lina, questioned. "The raccoon dog can talk!"

"I'm not a raccoon dog! I'm a reindeer!" Chopper barked.

"Huh?" Lina muttered. "But…"

"But what?" Chopper asked.

**Grruuummblle…!** The boys gasped when Lina's stomach began to growl.

"Are you hungry?" Luffy asked, grinning.

"Uh…yeah," Lina answered.

Luffy reached into his pocket and pulled out a leg of mutton he had stolen from the buffet table.

"Here," he said. "You can have my lunch."

"Are you sure?" asked Lina.

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry right now," Luffy said. "My tummy still kinda hurts a little from eating that candy. It's no pirate lunchbox, but it's still pretty good!"

"Pirates?" Lina repeated. "You mean, you guys are pirates?!"

"That's right!" Luffy said. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

"I'm Tony-Tony Chopper, the doctor!" Chopper said.

"I am the Great Captain Usopp, the greatest of all snipers!" Usopp said.

**WOOF! WOOF!** Blizzard barked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said. "This is Blizzard, our guard dog!"

"NUKIKIKI~!" Nukky screeched in terror before he scampered towards a palm tree and scurried up to the top.

"Nukky!" Lina cried before she ran after him. "Nukky, come down! It's okay! I don't think that dog is scary! He looks pretty nice to me!"

"Nuki! Nukiki!" Nukky cried.

"What'd he say?" Luffy asked.

"He says, 'I'm not coming down as long as that wolf is there!'" Chopper translated.

"Wolf?" Luffy asked.

Blizzard swallowed the lump in his throat and he pinned his ears against his head, realizing that Nukky was talking about him.

"Nukky, please come down!" Lina pleaded. "Please? How about you come down and we can have lunch, okay?"

"…Nuki," Nukky squeaked as he made his way down the tree and climbed up on Lina's shoulder again.

"Good Sea Raccoon," Lina praised.

"Why'd he freak out?" Usopp asked.

"When Nukky was little, his parents were killed and eaten by a pack of wolves near our home island," said Lina. "He's been afraid of wolves ever since."

Blizzard was quiet as he looked at Nukky, who hid behind Lina's shoulder.

"Oh, wait!" Lina said. "I almost forgot about Big Sis!"

"Big Sis?" Luffy repeated.

The group turned to see a girl of at least 10 years old holding a notebook and looking under some floor paneling. The girl had long, darker brown hair and wore a pink dress, as well as a pair of orange boots.

"Big Sis Sayo!" Lina called, getting the girl's attention.

XXX

A moment later, the Straw Hats invited the girls and Nukky to lunch. Lina ate almost as much as Luffy did while Sayo, the older girl, only ate a couple of sandwiches. Nukky, meanwhile, ate a single loaf of bread.

"You guys sure can eat, huh?" Nami asked as she watched Lina eat.

"Wow!" Usopp said as he, Chopper, Luffy watched Nukky eat, too. "Look at this little guy go! He'll eat just about anything!"

"Well, Sea Raccoon are omnivorous," said Chopper. "They'll eat both meat and plants."

Blizzard sat nearby, keeping his distance from Nukky.

"Hey," Luffy said as he held up one of his sandals. "You think he'll eat this, too? Shishishishi!"

"LIKE HELL!" Usopp and Chopper shouted, causing the Captain to drop the sandal.

Nukky tilted his head curiously at the sandal before **POOF!** He transformed into another one!

"Wow~!" Usopp and Chopper cheered, clapping their hands/hooves.

"Hey," Sanji said. "What the hell is that thing?"

A moment later, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper explained Nukky's ability.

"What?!" Sanji questioned. "That thing can transform into anything?!"

"Pretty much," Luffy replied.

Sanji gasped as steam came out of his nose and comical flames burst behind him.

"A girl!" Sanji pleaded to Nukky. "I want you to turn into the most beautiful girl ever!"

"Nukiki!" Nukky chirped before **POOF!** He transformed into a more slender, feminine version of himself, causing Sanji to fall to his knees.

"Not that, you idiot," he said before he pointed at Nami. "NAMI! TURN INTO NAMI!"

"Huh?" Nami muttered.

**POOF!** Nukky heeded Sanji's wish and transformed into Nami…only…

"TWO SMALL~!" Sanji cried.

Indeed. The Nami that Nukky had transformed into was at least 2-3 inches tall.

"Dammit!" Sanji cursed as he fell to his knees, once again. "Why can't this idiot get it right?!" He then sighed and picked Nukky-Nami up. "Even so…even if she is the size of a doll, Nami is still Nami! NAMI, MY DEAR~!"

"STOP THAT, IDIOT!" Nami shouted as she hit Sanji in the back of his head.

"You didn't have to do a thing about Sanji, did you, Luffy?" Usopp asked.

"Nope!" Luffy answered. "Nami can handle Sanji on her own! Shishishishishi!"

Lina laughed as well before she looked to her sister.

"See?" she asked. "I told you they were funny, didn't I?"

Sayo didn't answer. Instead, she just kept staring at the notebook in her hands. Lina looked at Sayo, as if out of sadness, before she placed a hand on her arm.

"…Should we get going?" she asked, and Sayo nodded. "Uh…thanks for the food!"

"Oh, are you leaving already?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Sayo said. "Thank you very much for the meal."

"Nukky!" Lina called. "Time to go!"

"Nukiki!" Nukky chirped before he ran to Lina's side and perched himself on her shoulder.

"Bye Luffy!" Lina called. "It's been fun!"

"Aww, you're leaving already, Raccoon Monster?" Luffy asked.

"That's all?!" Nami questioned, smacking Luffy against the head.

"FEHFEHFEHFEHFEH!" someone laughed.

The Straw Hats, Lina, Sayo, and Nukky looked up to see none other than…Foxy the Silver Fox, as well as his two henchmen, Porche and Hamburg.

"I've been looking for you two little scamps," said Foxy. "FEHFEHFEHFEH!"

"Pupupupupu!" Hamburg giggled.

"Don't you know when to quit?!" Lina questioned.

"I find it hard to believe you brats would run all the way here," Foxy said. "I must admit, such responsive is admirable. I'd like nothing more than to capture you both, here and now, but…wait just one second, here. I seemed to have come across some familiar faces." He then turned to face the Straw Hats…mainly Luffy.

"So, this is where you've been hiding, Enemy #100!" Foxy said.

"Huh?" Luffy questioned.

"'Straw Hat' Luffy," Foxy said. "It's been a while…hasn't it?!"

"…Who the hell are you?" Luffy asked.

Foxy gasped before he fell to his hands and knees, depressed.

"He doesn't know me," he moaned. "He doesn't even know who I am!"

"I-it's okay, Boss! Please, don't be sad!" Porche cried.

"Pupupupupu!" Hamburg giggled again.

"Hey, wait a minute," Luffy said. "I think I know you, now…you're that guy that Zoro and Sanji beat up in the Davy Back Fight!"

Foxy became even more depressed at this.

"He's definitely doing it on purpose…!" he cried.

"Boss, no!" Porche cried.

"Pupupupupu!" Hamburg giggled, once more.

"Straw Hat!" Foxy barked. "You little bastard! You ruined my winning streak in the Davy Back Fight, as well as took away our pirate flag! I WON'T STAND HERE AND LET YOU SAY THAT YOU'VE FORGOTTEN!"

"Oh, wait! I remember now!" Luffy said. "You're that Split-Head Foxy guy!"

"IT'S FOXY THE SILVER FOX, YOU NIMROD!" Foxy yelled.

"_Hey, Chopper,"_ Blizzard said. _"Who the hell is this clown?"_

"It's Foxy the Silver Fox," Chopper answered. "He's a greedy, sneaky pirate, and a no-good cheater. We took him on in a Davy Fight Back once. Robin and I almost ended up joining him if it weren't for Luffy."

"_I see,"_ Blizzard said.

"Hey, Luffy, watch your back," Usopp said. "If memory serves me correctly, this guy ate a Devil Fruit that makes him shoot beams that turns you slow for 30 seconds!"

"He does?" Luffy asked.

"_A Devil Fruit?"_ Blizzard asked.

"Yeah," Chopper answered. "Foxy at the Slow-Slow Fruit. If his Slow-Slow Beams hit you, you'll be stuck in slow motion for 30 seconds!"

"_Thanks for the warning,"_ Blizzard said.

"Well, at least we know to avoid it," Sanji said. "We should be okay for a bit."

"FEHFEHFEHFEHFEH!" Foxy laughed. "You really think it would be that easy?! Fat chance! I'm not the same as I was before!"

Just then, he, Porche, and Hamburg jumped into what looked like…a bust of Foxy's head, made entirely of mirrors.

"Mirrors?" Sanji questioned.

_Uh-oh,_ Blizzard thought. _I got a bad feeling about this._

"High Speed Spinning Mirror Ball!" Porche exclaimed before the Foxy Mirror head began to spin around!

"New Slow-Slow Beam!" Foxy shouted as he fired one of his Slow-Slow Beams into a mirror that was positioned beneath the ball, and not long after, he sent Slow-Slow Beams almost everywhere!

"WAH!" Luffy cried, but ended up getting hit.

"Already, he's cheating!" Usopp said before he and Sanji got hit by the beams, as well, followed by Robin, Nami, Chopper, Lina, Sayo, and Nukky!

"Thaaaaat's whyyyyy I saaaaaid beee caaaaaarefuuuuuuul…!" Usopp said, his voice in slow motion.

"FEHFEHFEHFEHFEH!" Foxy laughed as he and his lackeys came out of the mirror ball and approached the two young girls.

"Pupupupupu!" Hamburg chuckled.

"I'll be taking this, if you don't mind," Foxy said as he took the notebook out of Sayo's hand. "FEHFEHFEHFEHFEH! Now do you remember, Straw Hat?"

**FWIK!** Foxy snapped his fingers, down below the island, steam began to pour out of one of the vents, and the floor beneath Luffy and company began to slide out. The only thing beneath them now is…the sea.

"Ooooooohhhh craaaaaaaaap~!" Sanji cursed in slow motion as he and the others began to slowly fall.

"FEHFEHFEH!" Foxy laughed. "In ten seconds, you'll all be sent straight to a watery grave!"

"9!" Porche counted.

"8!" Hamburg counted.

"7!" Foxy counted, grinning.

Just then, Franky and Brook returned from their baths. Brook was now dressed in a yellow jumpsuit with an orange beret and Franky was dressed in a dark red shirt with yellow circles.

"Ah, what a wonderful bath!" Brook said. "My skin is absolutely shining! Ah, but wait. Seeing as how I am bones, I do not have skin. Yohohoho!"

"Huh?" Franky muttered as he spotted Luffy and the others in slow motion freefall. "Hey! What are you guys doing there?"

At that moment, the 30 seconds were up, and Luffy and the others began to fall!

"FRANKY! BLIZZARD! BROOK!" Luffy called. "KICK THEIR ASSES!"

"Eh?!" Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche muttered.

Suddenly, **CHOMP!** Blizzard seemed to appear out of nowhere and bit Foxy's ass!

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Foxy screamed in pain upon feeling Blizzard's fangs in his posterior. "GET HIM OFF!"

"Pupupupupupu!" Hamburg laughed.

"Hamburg! It's not funny! Get that mangy mutt off of Boss!" Porche snapped.

"Not so fast!" Franky shouted before he pointed his arm-bazooka at the Foxy Pirates. "Snowy! Get outta the way!"

Blizzard looked at Franky before he obeyed, jumping away from Foxy. **RRRRIIIP!** When Blizzard jumped away…he tore off the back of Foxy's bathing suit, revealing his white silver fox boxers!

"Weapons LEFT!" Franky shouted.

**KABOOM!** A huge explosion went off as Franky opened fire on the Foxy Pirates, causing them to drop Sayo's notebook.

XXX

At the waterfalls, Zoro suddenly looked up from his meditation upon hearing all the noise.

XXX

Near the docks, the guests and civilians were in a panic.

"What's going on?!"

"I don't know, but I'm not sticking around to find out! Let's get outta here!"

"To the ships!"

XXX

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Sayo and Lina screamed as they and Nukky fell to the sea, when suddenly, **WROING! WHAP!** A rubbery arm stretched out and coiled around them, stopping them from falling! They looked up to see Luffy, using his other arm to hang onto the edge.

"Luffy!" Lina gasped.

"Robin! Save Nami and the others!" Luffy ordered.

"Cien Fleur!" Robin exclaimed as she crossed her arms.

Suddenly, a net made of 100 arms appeared, catching Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, and Robin herself.

"Are you all okay?!" Brook asked, looking over the edge. "That was quite frightening!"

Soon, Luffy hoisted himself, Lina, Sayo, and Nukky back on solid ground, followed by Robin and the others.

"Luffy!" Lina said. "You can stretch!"

"Yep!" Luffy answered, cracking his knuckles. "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. I'm a rubber-man!" He then looked to Foxy. "And there's no way I'm gonna lose to you again, Split-Head!"

"Damn you, Straw Hat!" shouted a literally smoking Foxy. "You went and got more crew members, didn't you?!"

_That's right, pal,_ Blizzard thought, _and don't you forget it!_

"B-Boss! That skeleton…it's a-a-ALIVE!" Porche cried.

Foxy was too stunned to speak. Instead, he and his two cronies hurried back to the Foxy Mirror Ball.

"Let's try the Mirror Ball again!" he shouted as he and Porche jumped in. "As long as we have this, we can still win!"

Hamburg tried to get in last, but his shirt collar ended up getting caught in the door.

"Dammit, Hamburg!" Foxy cursed. "Hurry up and close the door!"

**BAM! SMASH!** Hamburg closed the door too hard, causing the mirrors to shatter, leaving nothing but the steel beam frame!

"Uh-oh…!" Porche muttered.

"MY PRECIOUS MIRRORS~!" cried Foxy in horror.

Luffy smirked before he stretched his arms.

"GUUUUUM…GUUUUUUUUUM…BAZOOKA~!"

**THWAM!** Luffy hit the frame of the Mirror Ball, sending the Foxy Pirates flying! **SPLASH!** They ended up falling right into the sea!

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "That takes care of them!"

"Luffy! You're amazing!" Lina said, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Thanks!" Luffy said, but then, **GRRRUUUUUUUUUMMMBLLE!**

"What was that?" Sayo asked.

"My tummy," Luffy answered, patting his stomach, or rather the two inner tubes around it. "I guess I got hungry blowing those guys away."

"Seriously, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"What?" Luffy asked. "You know I get hungry easily!"

XXX

Meanwhile, the guests are still stampeding to the exits. In fact, there were so many, people ended up trying to push passed one another to get by, and security had to try and calm them down.

"Please, exit to the docks in an orderly fashion!"

"Single file!"

"Do not leave your children and pets unattended!"

In a corridor, somewhere underwater, Zoro was on his way back up to the surface…but, as usual…he had gotten lost.

"Dammit, where the hell am I?" the green-haired swordsman grumbled before he looked out a nearby window and saw the hulls of many ships…sailing away from the island. "What the hell's going on? Where's everyone going?"

XXX

A moment later, Luffy was eating some meat he had gotten from the restaurant. Since no one was there, he figured he could take as much as he wanted. Nami was going to reprimand him for it, but decided against it. He decided to share some of the meat with Nukky.

Unfortunately, the Sea Raccoon still kept his distance from Blizzard, who tried not to seem threatening to the little critter, to no avail.

While they are eating, Nami decided to talk to Sayo and Lina.

"Now girls," Nami said. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"W-what is it?" asked Sayo, hesitantly.

"That notebook you have," Nami said. "That's what Foxy's after, isn't it?"

Sayo just gripped the notebook.

"Foxy?" Lina repeated.

"That pirate we just beat," Nami said. "We kinda go way back, but he didn't seem interested in us…for a while, at least. He only wanted that notebook, right?"

The sisters only glanced at each other, and Nami grinned.

"…I hit the nail on the head, huh?" the navigator asked.

"…Okay, you got us!" said Lina. "This notebook holds the secret to creating a precious gem!"

"Creating a gem?!" Nami questioned. "Are you serious?!"

_No way!_ Blizzard thought.

"Lina, what are you doing?" Sayo asked.

"Sayo, I know what I'm doing!" said Lina. "I know they're pirates, but I'm pretty sure we can trust them! They're not at all like those guys that chased us here! Besides, they're pretty strong despite how they look! And if just you, me, and Nukky keep going by ourselves, there's no way we'll be able to reach our goal!"

After a moment's hesitation, Sayo nodded to her little sister before she showed the notebook. The pages inside are filled with all sorts of mathematic formulas.

"This notebook belonged to our Daddy," said Sayo.

"Wow!" Nami said. "Look at all these formulas!"

_Eh,_ Blizzard thought, looking at the book. _I may be smart…but even I can't understand all this weird math mumbo-jumbo._

"Our Daddy was a researcher," said Sayo, "and those formulas are the instructions on how to make the gem."

"And you two can understand it?" Nami asked.

"Well, not me," Lina said, "but my Big Sis Sayo can! She's really smart!"

"Lina," Sayo said, bashfully.

"Huh?" Nami muttered. "Is this a sea chart?"

In the notebook, there is what appears to be a map of the entire Spa Island, and on a peculiar mark that looked like steam rising up, there is a red X next to it.

"There's an X next to that steam mark," Usopp said. "Why is that?"

"I think it's a hint for how the gem is created," said Sayo.

"Really?" Nami asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Sayo said. "The notebook has the method down to 99% written in it."

"And that remaining 1% percent is supposed to be the last clue written in this memo, right?" Usopp asked.

"Hmm…" Nami hummed. "It looks like the steam represents Spa Island…so you're saying that the final clue to this method is here?"

"Yep!" Lina answered. "That's what we thought, so we snuck onto the island!"

"Not bad, girls," Nami said. "You almost remind me of myself!"

"Yeah! Nami's really sneaky!" Luffy agreed. "Shishishishi!"

Nami glared at Luffy.

"What?" Luffy asked. "It's supposed to be a compliment! You're a good thief!"

Nami smiled before she kissed Luffy's cheek.

"That's true," she said.

"Anyway," said Lina as she took the notebook back, "we've searched a few places, here and there, but we haven't found anything yet. Not even a clue."

"It's a bit hard to believe that this notebook alone contains instructions on how to create a gem," Robin said.

"Still, Foxy and his goons followed them this far to get that notebook," Nami said. "C'mon! It has to be legit!"

"…Well…I wouldn't say that," Lina said.

"Huh?" Nami muttered.

"Lina?" Sayo asked.

"…I'm pretty sure that this notebook is just a fake," said Lina. "I mean…there's no way you can make a gem."

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked, surprised.

"Daddy was nothing but a big dummy and a liar!" Lina said, angrily. "I…I really, REALLY hate him!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

_Ah, c'mon kid,_ Blizzard thought, sadly. _Don't go saying that._

Lina growled as she gripped her father's notebook.

_Flashback; three years ago_

In a little village on a little island, Lina and Sayo are at home, sitting at the table by themselves, when suddenly, a man wearing tattered clothes and a pineapple helmet came bursting into the house. Perched on the man's shoulder was Nukky, and in in the man's hand…there is a golden horned beetle, only some spots were a brownish-green.

"Oh, hi Daddy!" Lina greeted her father.

"Welcome home!" Sayo greeted, as well.

"Sayo! Lina!" their father, Rubert, exclaimed in a panicked voice. "Look at this! It's terrible!" He then held up the golden beetle. "Look! A golden horned beetle! They say that when one appears, the village is doomed! What am I going to do?!"

(A/N: Since the name of their father wasn't revealed, I decided to give him a name instead.)

"Uh…Daddy?" Sayo asked.

Rubert took a second look at the beetle…and saw the spots.

"The golden color is fading," Sayo concluded.

Rubert gasped in shock at this.

"I've been had!" he said, and not long after, the family heard the sound of laughter coming from outside. Lina went out and saw a group of boys, laughing and pointing at Rubert.

"Stupid old man!"

"He falls for it every time!"

"I know! That's what makes it fun!"

"Hey you! Get outta here!" Lina shouted.

The boys ran off, still laughing at their little prank, but Rubert, for some reason, did not get angry. Instead, he surprisingly laughed as well.

"Well, isn't that a kick in the head?" he quipped. "Looks like the village is going to be all right, after all! Silly me, a man of my intelligence falling for such a little prank! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Lina and Sayo couldn't help but laugh, too.

Rubert really lived the village where he raised his daughters, mostly because it was where his wife, who had sadly passed away, was born. The village was rather poor and life was rather hard to get through.

"This research of mine is going to save this little village of ours, one day, girls," Rubert told his daughters while having tea.

"It will?" Sayo asked.

"Of course!" Rubert answered. "With this, everyone can live happily without any problems at all! I guarantee it!"

"What kind of research are you doing, Daddy?" asked Sayo.

"I'm working on instructions on how to create a rare gem," said Rubert. "AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Uh…Daddy?" Lina asked. "I hate to break it to you…but I don't think a gem is something you can make. Don't you usually find them in caves and rocks and such?"

Rubert stared at his youngest daughter for a moment…but then he began to laugh again.

_Flashback end_

"AHAHAHAHA!" Luffy laughed. "Your dad sure sounds like a funny dude!"

"He's NOT funny!" Lina barked. "He's a terrible Daddy!"

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, concerned.

"3 years ago," Lina began, "he left to continue his research…but he never came back! He just left us there to fend for ourselves! The neighborhood kids kept making fun of us, but we forced to endure it!"

_Wow…been there,_ Blizzard thought, feeling sympathy for the two girls.

"I always believed that Daddy died during his journey," said Lina. "Then one day…in fact, it was a month ago, Nukky came home…with Daddy's notebook in his mouth. It had a letter inside…and do you know what is said? It said 'To my precious girls, please complete my research for me.' It's stupid, isn't it?!"

Unbeknownst to the group…there is a Transponder Snail hidden in the artificial palm trees nearby.

Someone was eavesdropping.

"Why would he leave for 3 years, and then have us do all his work for him?!" Lina questioned, angrily, sounding close to tears. "Why did we have to risk our necks and come all the way out here?! Daddy's nothing but a big dummy! A BIG, FAT, LYING DUMMY! I'LL NEVER, EVER BELIEVE ANYTHING HE SAYS! I bet he knows that this gem is a fake, so that's why he's forcing us to do this! WHY IS HE MAKING US DO HIS DIRTY WORK?!"

Sayo stared at Lina sadly, gripping the notebook as she did, and Blizzard noticed this.

…_Is there something that the older sister knows that the other one doesn't?_ the wolf-dog thought.

"Your dad sure was a pretty interesting guy, huh?"

Sayo and Lina looked up at Luffy in surprise.

"I really wanna see it for myself," Luffy said. "That gem."

The girls gasped before they looked at the rest of the Straw Hats, all wearing grins. That's when they realized that they are all dead serious.

"Are…are you all deaf?!" Lina questioned, angrily. "Why are buying this?! I'm telling you, it's not real!"

"Oh, here you guys are!"

Zoro finally enters the scene.

"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy said. "Where've you been? I bet you got lost again, right?"

"Hey!" Zoro snapped.

"Aren't you listening to me?!" Lina questioned.

"But aren't you looking for the final clue to the treasure, too?" Usopp asked.

"Not me!" Lina said. "Just Sayo! I came with her to be her bodyguard!"

"Her bodyguard?!" the Straw Hats repeated.

_Uh…isn't she a little young to be someone's bodyguard?_ Blizzard thought. _Lina looks like she's about 8._

"Big Sis says she'll find the secret no matter what," Lina said, "so I came here to protect her!"

"Okay, what are you guys talking about?" Zoro asked.

"Maybe you'd know if you'd been here sooner, Moss-head," Sanji said.

"What'd you say, Crap-cook?!" Zoro questioned.

"You heard me!" Sanji barked.

Just when the two were about to have another one of their usual quarrels…

"You really can make the gem!"

The Straw Hats looked over at Sayo, who stood up with a determined expression on her face.

"I…I believe Daddy," Sayo said. "I believe him with all my heart and soul!"

"…Big Sis," Lina whispered in surprise.

XXX

In a hidden room somewhere on the island, someone is about to press a big red button.

XXX

Sayo turned to look at Lina, and she smiled, to her surprise.

"Everyone," Sayo said. "Please, help me and Lina-"

All of a sudden, the floor opened up beneath Sayo, revealing it to be a trap door…and Sayo fell through it, much to everyone's shock! Franky, out of reflexes, grabbed Lina, thinking that there might be a trap door under her feet too.

"Big Sis!" Lina cried. "BIG SIS~!"

_Okay, what the hell just happened?!_ Blizzard thought.

"Where'd she go?!" Chopper asked.

"I don't know!" Sanji replied.

"**Girugirugiru…"** went a familiar laugh. **"I have the girl. If you want her back in one piece, you'll do as I say!"**

"It's Doran!" Nami said.

"Who's that?" Chopper asked.

"The owner of this establishment," Robin answered.

"What did you say?!" Sanji questioned.

XXX

"Girugirugirugiru…!" Doran chuckled from his hidden room, wearing a sinister grin as he spoke into a Transponder Snail. "I want you to uncover the secret of that notebook. Only then will I return the girl. GIRUGIRUGIRUGIRUGIRUGIRU~!"

XXX

"Holy crap!" Usopp cursed in a panic. "Foxy wasn't the only one who was after the girls!"

"Luffy, what do we do?!" Nami asked.

Luffy glared at the Transponder Snail where Doran's voice was heard with an angry glare in his eyes…but then he smirked.

"I think I might have a good idea," he said.

_Okay,_ Blizzard thought. _Whenever Luffy says he has a good idea…it usually means it's not a good idea._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I kinda added a few things, as you can see. Hope you enjoy!

Review, please!


	2. Collapse! Spa Island!

**Ch. 2- Collapse! Spa Island!**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

When we last left the Straw Hat Pirates, they had recently docked on the famous Spa Island to take a bit of a vacation. While there, they meet the sisters, Sayo and Lina, and their pet Sea Raccoon, Nukky, who are trying to find the final clue to creating a rare gem using their long-lost father's notebook. Unfortunately, they were being pursued by Foxy the Silver Fox and his two henchmen, Porche and Hamburg, but the Straw Hats make quick work of them. However, Sayo is suddenly kidnapped and held hostage by the true mastermind of this scheme: the owner of Spa Island, Doran, who demands that they find the secret to creating the gem…or else.

"Big Sis~!" Lina cried while Nukky tried in vain to dig into the floor.

"Dammit! This place is full of booby traps!" Usopp cursed.

But meanwhile, in the main building, Foxy, who had been saved from drowning by Hamburg and Porche, is getting the water squeezed out of his stomach by the former.

"Boss, please hang in there!" Porche cried.

"Pupupupupu!" Hamburg giggled.

"Girugirugirugiru…that was rather pathetic of you, Foxy the Silver Fox," said Doran, watching the Straw Hats through a window. "Trying to use one of my traps to escape. No matter. All that's left is to wait for these idiots to discover the secret behind making the gems. Girugirugirugiru…!"

XXX

Down below, the Straw Hats are still looking at the map in the notebook.

"Hmm…I guess we can't really decipher much from this, can we?" Nami asked.

"You and your sister looked all over this place, right?" Usopp asked. "You haven't found one huge X anywhere?!"

"No," Lina answered. "Maybe…this stupid memo is fake, after all…but Sayo…she…!" She sniffled as tears before she looked up at Luffy, who smiled at her.

"…Luffy!" she said. "Please…help me save my sister!"

"Sure thing," Luffy said, plain and simple, much to Lina's surprise.

"You will? Really?!" she asked.

"Yep!" Luffy answered as Nami gave him his hat, which he put on his head. "Besides, I wanna see how this gem is made!"

"You're sure?" Lina asked. "Even though it might be fake?"

"By the way, Luffy," Usopp said. "You said you came up with an idea! What is it?"

"Oh, yeah! About that!" Luffy said. "Let's just tear this place down!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" the Straw Hats questioned.

_I knew it wasn't a good idea,_ Blizzard thought. _Why am I not surprised?_

XXX

"HUH?!" Doran questioned. "B-BUT HOW DID IT COME TO SUCH A RASH DECISION LIKE THAT?!"

"Pupupupupupupu!" Hamburg chuckled.

XXX

"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Usopp cried. "Don't you think you're taking that a bit too far?!"

"What about Sayo, Luffy?!" Chopper asked.

"If we tear the place apart, we'll find her easier, won't we?" Luffy asked.

"And what about the hint for the gem?" Robin asked.

"Well, if this place is gone, it'll be probably easier to find it, right?" Luffy asked.

…_I can't believe I'm thinking this,_ Blizzard thought, _but…that actually kinda makes sense. I no idea why or how._

"…Luffy…!" Lina whispered.

"Let's just get this over with," Zoro said.

"Zoro?" Usopp asked.

"We can't waste time, thinking whether or not that something is on this island," Zoro said.

"Don't you guys think you're lacking in delicacy here?" Nami asked, her arms crossed.

"Nami, I have to be honest with you," Sanji said. "More than anything else, I can't stand listening to what that artichoke-mustache idiot tells us."

"It doesn't really matter if this place sinks to the sea, don't you think?" Robin asked.

"I don't believe this!" Nami exclaimed. "Even Robin's getting in on the act! Am I the only one here who has common sense?!"

"Well, they are captain's orders, after all!" Brook said. "Yohohoho!"

"Ah, so you get it, don't you Bones?" Frank asked as he filled himself up with cola.

"Hey, Franky!" Luffy called. "I'll let you handle the _Sunny_."

"That's what I figured," the cyborg shipwright said as he put his sunglasses on and then ran off. "SUPER~!"

"And here I was, thinking we'd have a nice, normal vacation," Nami sighed, exasperated.

"Okay!" Luffy shouted before throwing a fist into the air. "TEAR THIS PLACE DOWN~!"

Soon, everyone split up and got straight to work.

"108 CALIBER PHOENIX!" Zoro roared before he sent a circular air-compressed slash at one of the buildings.

"CONCASSE!" Sanji shouted before he jumped down into a pool, kicking a massive hole into and causing the hallway beneath it to flood!

_Bullet FANG!_ Blizzard shouted mentally before he took off like a bullet from a gun, destroying one of the bathhouses!

"Gum GUUUUUUUM…WHIP!" Luffy shouted as he stretched out his leg and smashed through some more bathhouses!

That's when the security guards decided to come and put a stop to it, but the rest of the Straw Hats seemed to be way ahead of them!

Usopp fired Tabasco Stars into the mouths of the guards, sending them screaming from the spiciness. Chopper, in his Arm Point form, sending some guards flying with his Hoofprint Roseo attack. Nami shocked several guards with her Thunderbolt Tempo. Robin, using her arms, snapped the guards' backs. Brook cut several more down with his Arrow Notch Slice!

"Wow!" Lina said, riding piggyback on Luffy with Nukky. "Look how strong everyone is!"

"Nukikiki!" Nukky chirped.

Luffy smirked before he stretched his leg out again.

"Give us back SAYO~!" he roared before **SMASH!** He destroyed the main entrance!

XXX

"GET OUTTA MY WAY~!" Franky yelled as he jumped over some guards and made his way down a flight of stairs. "SUPER!"

"Shoot him!" shouted one of the guards before they pointed their rifles at Franky, but the bullets ended up bouncing off of his iron body!

"You think those little bullets are gonna stop me?!" Franky asked, much to the guards' shock.

"W-what's with this guy's body?!" asked one of them.

Franky laughed as he hopped backwards down the stairs, but then, he tripped and hit the back of his head, causing him to yelp in pain before he glared at the guards.

"You bastards!" he cursed. "Trying to get a leg up on Franky, huh?!"

"Huh?!" the guards questioned. "But we didn't-"

"WEAPONS LEFT!"

**KABOOM!** Franky fired his bazooka at the guards, sending them flying! The explosion could even be heard from up on the surface.

"Hey!" Luffy called. "Hurry and give back Sayo already, Curly Mustache Guy!"

"YOU LITTLE BASTARDS~!"

**FSSSSSSHHH~!** The main building's chimney suddenly started steaming, and then began to detach and tilt, revealing it to be…a humongous cannon!

_What the hell?!_ Blizzard questioned.

"What the hell's that thing?!" Usopp questioned. "A giant cannon?! I can't believe it!"

Just then, something appeared on top of a roof of another building. It is Sayo, tied up to a stake!

Sayo opened her eyes and got a look at her surroundings, and soon, she realized…she is right in the cannon's line of fire. In fact, she is mere inches in front of it! If that cannon were fired right now…she would definitely be obliterated!

Terrified, Sayo let out a shrill scream, gaining the attention of the Straw Hats, Lina, and Nukky.

"BIG SIS~!" Lina cried.

"LINA~!" Sayo shouted.

"That bastard!" Sanji cursed. "Holding her hostage!"

Usopp growled in agreement.

_Just how low with this son of a bitch sink?!_ Blizzard thought.

"You fools think that you can just do whatever you please?!" Doran questioned. "DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"

He suddenly appeared, sitting in the cannon's cockpit.

"Do you idiots have any idea as to how much this place costs?!" asked Doran as he began to pull levers and turned a wheel, causing the cannon to tilt upwards. Then, he pulled out a switch and **KABOOM!** He fired the cannon, which barely missed Sayo and ended up flying into the sea, much to the Straw Hats' shock!

"What the hell is he doing?!" Sanji questioned.

"BIG SIS~!" Lina cried.

"GIRUGIRUGIRUGIRU~!" Doran cackled as he aimed the cannon back at Sayo. "I'm going to send this brat flying in one shot! Originally, I wanted you to decipher the clue in that notebook, but I realize now that that was a mistake! Hand over that notebook, and then I shall return the girl!"

"Stop! I'll give you the notebook!" Lina cried, tearfully. "Just please, don't kill Sayo!"

"NO, LINA!"

Lina and Doran looked at Sayo in surprise.

"Whatever you do, don't give him the notebook!" she shouted. "Please…you have to keep it with you and complete Daddy's research!"

"No!" Lina shouted. "Why should I?!"

"Please, Lina!" Sayo pleaded. "Believe in Daddy! Don't give that notebook to these bad guys!"

"Huh?" Lina muttered.

"…You know as well as I do that Daddy worked hard on his research to help us and the village," Sayo said.

"…But…Sayo…!" Lina whispered.

"Please Lina…you can't give up Daddy's research for my sake!"

"Shut up! That's a lie! Daddy was just being selfish!" Lina shouted. "…It's always been that way…hasn't it?!"

_Flashback; 3 years ago_

In Lina and Sayo's home village, the sisters are busy decorating a delicious vanilla cake. It looked a bit lopsided, but they didn't care. After all…it was Lina's birthday, and she only wanted one thing: for Rubert to be there to share the cake with her.

"Do you think Daddy will like this cake?" Lina asked.

"I know he will," Sayo said. "You made it special, too."

But as day turned to night, Lina was met with disappointment, for her father never showed up. Sayo tried to reassure Lina that he would come back, and that he had probably discovered something for his research, but Lina remained angry.

The cake was left on the table since that day, and then, on the following night, while Sayo and Lina slept, Rubert and Nukky finally returned home with a bucket full of what looked like dried up molted insect skin. When Rubert entered the house and saw the cake…he was immediately met with a pang of guilt in his heart.

"…Poor girls," he said. "Lina had to go and bake her own cake…and I went and missed her birthday."

Suddenly, Lina entered, sleepily rubbing her eye while holding an oil lantern.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Ah! Lina!" said Rubert. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Did I wake you?"

"You're home," said Lina before she looked at the bucket of bug skin. "What are these things?"

"Molted bug skin!" said Rubert. "It's been cast off for 30 years! It's an important ingredient for making the gem!"

"Really?" Lina asked, excitedly, but then she looked at her father and pouted. "Wait a minute, what about-"

"Ah, yes! The cake!" Rubert said as he took the glass cover off and took the whole thing in his hands. "It looks delicious!"

With that, he began to eat the whole thing.

"Wait, Daddy!" Lina cried. "I made that cake yesterday! It's probably gone bad by now!"

Suddenly, Rubert froze up and all the color fell from his face before he collapsed, much to Lina's shock. After getting a doctor, it turned out that he simply had a touch of food poisoning. Nothing too serious…although Rubert sure acted that way.

"Someone get me a doctor…!" he groaned.

"He already came!" Lina barked.

_Flashback end_

"…Daddy doesn't know us at all," Lina said, tearfully. "He's never taken the time to understand us! He doesn't care about us at all! Just his stupid research!"

"Hey, now!" Usopp said. "Now's not the time for you to be fighting!"

"Let them go, Usopp," Luffy said, still grinning.

"Huh?" Usopp muttered in confusion.

"This is their problem," Luffy asked.

A pause came.

"…Lina," Sayo began, "you're wrong!"

"What?" Lina asked.

"Listen to me! Daddy…he was…"

_Flashback; 3 years ago_

At their house, Rubert is resting in bed while Sayo stayed beside him. Nukky is on the floor, drinking out of a saucer of milk. Lina…was still upset at Rubert, unfortunately.

"I really do feel about the cake, Sayo," Rubert said.

"Oh, Daddy," Sayo said.

"She must've been looking forward to the party, wasn't she?"

"Yeah."

"I really am sorry, Sayo. It's just…I had to get those bug skins. They're cast off every 30 years and are essential to creating the gem. I couldn't miss such an opportunity, so I had to go out and get them, otherwise I'd have to wait another thirty years."

"I understand."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No."

Rubert then sighed.

"…I know Lina is," he said, causing Sayo to frown. "You're just like your Mother, Sayo. When it comes to your loved ones, you're willing to forgive them easily, but Lina…well, she takes after me, mostly. She doesn't let things go so quickly."

Then, he and Sayo laughed.

"Sayo…when my research is complete and I finally create the gem," Rubert began, "I'd love to give it to her as a late birthday to make up for everything…and maybe have a cake at least as big as a bear!"

"Yeah!" Sayo agreed.

"Nukiki!" Nukky chirped.

"It will definitely surprise Lina," Rubert said before he laughed.

_Flashback end_

Lina stared at Sayo in surprise, but before she could argue that Rubert might've been lying again…

"Nukiki!" Nukky chirped, suddenly.

"Nukky says that Sayo's telling the truth!" said Chopper.

Lina gasped and looked at Nukky.

"Nukiki! Nukiki!" the little Sea Raccoon chattered.

"He says, 'The reason why your Dad left you and Sayo wasn't because he didn't care, but because Foxy and his two goons started following him and he didn't want you getting hurt!'" Chopper translated.

"…Really…?!" Lina questioned before she looked at the notebook and opened it. Inside, she saw an envelope…with a clover in it, and it didn't have three leaves, not even four…but FIVE leaves.

That was when Lina remembered that a long time ago, she and Rubert were looking for four-leaf clovers. Lina was disappointed that she had not found a single one because Sayo had found three four-leaf clovers. Rubert told her that the reason why was because Sayo believed she could. He told her that looking for a leaf-clover is like doing research. You just had to work hard, believe, and never give up, and in the end, you will find success. Since then, Lina decided to look for a five-leaf clover…and she eventually did, because she believed with all her heart that she could.

Her father was so amazed, that he vowed to do his best and believe in his research, as well.

"…That's right," Lina said, sniffling. "I forgot…! If it really it is…Daddy's dream…then I will believe it will come true! I believe it with all my heart and soul!"

Sayo looked down at Sayo with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Lina…!" she whispered.

"…Right," Lina said, wiping her eyes. "I've decided…THAT I WON'T HAND OVER THE NOTEBOOK!"

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Doran questioned.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Right! Let's do this!"

Doran growled before he grabbed the cannon's controls!

"Didn't I just say 'Don't screw with me'?!"

"Seis Fleur!"

Suddenly, six arms appeared and grabbed at Doran, preventing him from firing at Sayo again. Then, one of the hands turned Doran's head so that he faced Usopp, who held out his Kabuto.

"Successive Tabasco Star!" Usopp shouted before he fired three continuous Tabasco Stars into Doran's mouth. It was so spicy, it caused his lips to swell up!

"Nami!" Chopper called as he shifted into Walk Point. "Get on! Hurry!"

"Right!" Nami said before she jumped up onto the reindeer's back. Chopper galloped to Sayo's rescue, leaping up onto the roofs of the broken buildings until they reached the girl.

"Sayo!" Nami said.

"Quick, Nami!" Chopper said. "Untie her!"

Just when Nami was about to do so, she gasped…when she saw that Sayo's hands had been bound not just by ropes, but by a lock as well!

"OH, NO!" the navigator and doctor cried.

Meanwhile, Doran found himself facing Zoro, who slowly approached him with all three swords drawn.

"Where did you climb up here from?" Doran asked. "What do you think you're doing, you fool?!"

"…Three Swords Style," Zoro said. "DAI TETSU GIRI!"

**SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!** He cut up the cannon into five pieces!

"WHOA!" Lina cried, amazed, while Luffy just smiled.

Then, **SLICE!** Zoro cut off Sayo's bonds, freeing her!

"Zoro! You did it!" Chopper cheered.

"Thank you!" Sayo said.

"They certainly are working hard, aren't they?" Brook asked as he took a sip of a tropical drink through a straw.

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" Usopp barked.

"DAMN YOU!" Doran cursed before he pulled open a slot, revealing a red button inside. Once he pressed it, steam began to shoot out from all the over island!

"What the hell?!" Sanji questioned. "Is he that desperate?!"

_He's released all the ballasts at once!_ Blizzard thought. _At this rate, this place will collapse for sure!_

And Blizzard was right. The whole of Spa Island began to fall apart! Robin was forced to dodge one of the falling palm trees, but in doing so, she accidentally released her hold on Doran!

"All right!" he said before he began to aim his cannon at Luffy, Lina, and Nukky. "YOU IMPUDENT BASTARDS!"

**KABOOM!** He fired the cannon at Luffy, who jumped out of the way in the nick of time, carrying Lina with him, but the explosion was so forceful that Nukky ended up getting knocked off Lina's shoulder!

"NUKKY!" Lina cried.

"SEA RACCOON!" Luffy shouted.

"NUKIKI~!" Nukky cried as he went plummeting towards the island, but then, **CHOMP!** Blizzard leapt up and caught the little Sea Raccoon in his mouth, much to Lina's relief and Nukky's surprise.

"Good boy, Blizzard!" Luffy praised.

As Blizzard landed on the ground, he gently put Nukky down on the ground.

"_You all right?"_ he asked.

"…_You…you saved me,"_ Nukky said. _"Thank you, nukiki."_

Blizzard just grinned.

"Okay, Lina!" Luffy said. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Lina agreed.

"Gear Third! BONE BALLOON!"

**CHOMP! FWOOMP!** Luffy bit down on his thumb and blew air into his bones. The air shifted from his arm, to his torso (which caused his inner tubes to pop), and then down into his right leg, making it huge!

"W-what the?!" Doran questioned.

"GUM GUUUUUUM…GIANT BATTLE AXE~!" Luffy roared as he sent his humungous foot crashing down on Spa Island. Doran was so scared, he fled his cannon before Luffy smashed it into bits. Not only that, but the force of his attack practically split the entire place in half, right down the middle!

Hamburg and Porche gasped at the sudden destruction before the latter ran and began to slap her unconscious captain across the face in the hope of waking him up.

"BOSS! GET UP!" she shouted, and Foxy soon awoke.

"Ugh…what just happened?" he asked before he saw the wreckage that Luffy had created! "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"

Down below, Franky is now sailing the _Thousand Sunny_ away from the scene before it could get crushed by falling debris, just like the guards.

"Looks like I'm heading out first!" he said.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!" Luffy roared as he continued to smash the island.

"That moron!" Zoro shouted. "Can't he at least wait for us to try and escape first?!"

"Well, that's Luffy for you!" Nami said, mounted atop Chopper's back. "Anyway, let's get outta here!"

With that, the Straw Hats made their escape before Spa Island came tumbling down.

"Luffy!" Lina said. "That was amazing!"

"Yeah…except for one thing."

Lina turned to look at Luffy…only now, he had shrunken!

"I always shrink whenever I use that attack!" he said, grinning nonchalantly.

"Huh?!" Lina muttered before she realized…she and Lina had started to fall towards the sea!

"That idiot," Sanji muttered as he watched Luffy and Lina drop into the water. "Doesn't he ever think twice about what might happen? Oh, well. C'mon, Blizzard. Let's go save your idiot master."

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked in agreement before he and Sanji took the plunge.

Under the water, Lina is holding her breath while hanging on to Luffy, keeping him from sinking due to his Devil Fruit, when all of a sudden…she saw it: a huge glowing X-shaped crack in the sea, right beneath Spa Island. She then put two-and-two together and realized that this X…was exactly what she and her sister had been searching for!

Not long after this revelation, Sanji and Blizzard dove in and took Luffy and Lina back to the surface. Soon, they boarded the _Sunny_ and made their way out, just in time.

"We did it!" Chopper cheered.

"Serves you right, bastard!" Usopp shouted before he laughed.

As the dust cleared, the group looked into the water and saw the glowing X from beneath the surface.

"The giant X we've been looking for!" Sayo said.

"Yeah! That underwater volcano is what Daddy drew on the map!" Lina added.

"The treasure was right under Doran's nose this whole time," Nami said, "but he built Spa Island right on top of it! If he hadn't noticed by now, he must be the biggest idiot out there!"

**RRMMMMMBB! GLUB-GLUB-BLUB!** The sea began to shake and bubble as steam began to build up from the volcano. **FOOOOSSSSSH!** A huge cloud of steam formed from it, and then, up in the sky…a ring of colors appeared.

"Whoa!" Sayo exclaimed.

"Wow!" Lina shouted.

"It's…it's a circular rainbow!" Nami said. "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah," said Luffy, who had returned to his normal size and put his arms around Nami. "It sure is."

Nami smiled before she and Luffy shared a short but sweet kiss.

"This is the first time I've seen a round rainbow up close before," Sayo said.

"Likewise," Brook said.

_The Grand Line just never ceases to amaze,_ Blizzard thought, smiling.

Franky made an impressed whistle as he lifted his sunglasses.

"Hey, w-wait a sec!" Usopp said. "I just thought of something! Could it be…this rainbow is the treasure we've been looking for?!"

Everyone gasped.

"Well…it's true that the round rainbow is called the 'Gem of the Seas'," Nami explained.

"So…where we wrong after all?" Lina asked before she looked at Sayo, worryingly.

In the water, Foxy and Porche are sitting on Hamburg's back while Doran floated on a piece of driftwood, watching the rainbow.

"This…this is…!" Doran stammered in disbelief.

"Don't tell me that this is the treasure you promised us!" Foxy said.

"You big liar!" Porche added.

Hamburg growled at the nervous Doran, who began to swim away.

"GIRUGIRUGIRU!" he laughed. "YOU CAN HAVE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!"

"COME BACK HERE~!" the Foxy Pirates yelled as they swam after him. Well, Hamburg swam while Foxy and Porche had a ride.

Lina sighed in disappointment.

"I guess…this was just a waste of time," she said. "I'm sorry, Daddy. We failed."

"Hey…there's something weird about this rainbow," Nami said.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"The colors are put in an opposite order than a regular rainbow," Nami said. "See? They go purple, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and then red."

"…Wait!" Sayo said before she looked through her father's notebook one more time…and she gasped. "This…this is…!"

_**~Several days later~**_

After dropping Sayo, Lina, and Nukky off at their home island, the Straw Hats continued their voyage. Nami was a bit disappointed that their vacation was cut short, but she decided to just let it go for the time being.

Suddenly, Blizzard spotted something in the sky. At first, it looked like a seagull, but then, **POOF!** In a puff of pink smoke, it is soon revealed to be Nukky, who dropped down right on top of the wolf-dog's head.

"Hey, look!" Luffy said. "It's the monster raccoon dog!"

"No, Luffy, he's a Sea Raccoon," Usopp corrected.

Luffy picked Nuki up and saw that he had something around his neck: a rolled up piece of parchment. He took it off and soon saw that it was a letter.

"Hey, Nami!" Luffy said. "Can you read this, please?"

Nami smiled before she took the letter and read it.

"Oh! It's from Sayo and Lina!" she said. "Looks like Sayo's instincts from the other day hit the nail right on the head!"

"What's it say, Nami?" Chopper asked.

Nami cleared her throat and began to read.

"_To Big Brother Luffy and the Straw Hats,_

_How have you all been doing? Okay, I hope. After you dropped us off at home, we decided to try that theory that Sayo had about the round rainbow's order of colors. According to Daddy's formulas, we had to make 7 varieties of a certain chemical and then mix them together in the same order as the rainbow, and guess what?_

_It works! We finally made the Rainbow Pearl, and it's so pretty! And we can make more of them! We'll never be poor again!_

_And if you thought that was great, just wait until you hear this: Daddy's finally come home! We're all a big happy family again! Oh! And Nukky says that he may be afraid, but because Blizzard saved him that day, he's not afraid of him, anymore."_

Blizzard smiled upon hearing this.

"Nukiki!" Nukky chirped before he dropped something from his mouth into Luffy's palm. It looked like a pearl about the size of Chopper's nose, only it had tiny rainbow speckles inside.

"Whoa! Is this the Rainbow Pearl?!" Luffy asked.

"Wow!" Usopp exclaimed.

"It's pretty!" Chopper chimed in.

"They say, 'Thank you for everything,'" Nami said, "'and have one of the Rainbow Pearls we made it as a present!'"

Soon, almost everyone began to huddle up around Luffy to try and see the pearl.

"Hey, Luffy!" Usopp said. "Let me see the thing!"

"Me next!" Chopper said.

"I wanna see too!" Franky added.

"Hang on! I'm still looking!" Luffy said.

"Now wait a minute you guys!" Nami said. "That's not a toy you know! Be careful with it!"

Just then, a huge dark appeared above the _Sunny_, and not long after, multicolored drops began to fall.

"Oh, no!" Nami cried as she shielded herself. "It's raining candy again!"

"Yummy~!" Luffy cheered as he opened his mouth to catch the candy. However, in his distraction, he didn't notice that one of the candy drops had knocked the Rainbow Pearl out of his hand. At that moment, Nukky decided it was a good time for him to go back home, so he transformed into a seagull and flew off.

"Whoops," Luffy said. "Uh, Nami, don't get mad, but I lost the pearl."

"You what?!" Nami questioned. "W-where is it?!"

"I dunno!"

"Well, find it! Hurry up and find it! ALL OF YOU! DON'T JUST STAND THERE! FIND IT ALREADY!"

"YES, MA'AM!"

"Right away, Nami my dear!"

"Why don't you find it yourself?!"

"SHUT UP, ZORO, OR I'M RAISING YOUR DEBT!"

Unfortunately for Nami, no one ever found the Rainbow Pearl again…because right now, it is currently taking a one-way trip through Blizzard's digestive tract.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I think I might do the episode after this one. The one where Brook tries to help. Think of it as a Bonus Chapter!

Review, please!


	3. Bonus Chapter: Brook's Struggle

**Bonus Chapter!**

**Brook's Struggle**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

Summary- After reading the Straw Hats' logbook, Brook decides that he wants to help his new crewmates in any way he can so he won't be a burden, but every time he tries to help, it quickly turns into a disaster, one-after-another! Can Brook find his place in the crew? Or could it be that he might be trying a bit too hard?

* * *

It is a calm, peaceful night in the Grand Line. The sea is smooth, and there is barely wind. For now…the _Thousand Sunny_ is simply sailing along the current.

Tonight, while the Straw Hats sleep blissfully in their beds, Brook stands at the helm, for he is watch duty.

"Ah…it's such a calm night," the skeleton said. "I've been on watch all night, but I haven't seen trouble for miles. It feels like steering is completely meaningless. This is what I call 'breaking a bone for no reason', and I'm only just bones! Yohohohoho!" He then sighed. "I am so bored."

He looked down and gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter.

"…Laboon," he muttered. "It's been about two weeks now, since I've become one of Mister Luffy's comrades. He and his crew are good people…but that's not all. I found something amazing, earlier today: the Straw Hats' logbook! In it was the recounting of the crews astounding adventures and battles! But, as long as I am now their comrade, I must act appropriately! That is what I will do…Laboon!"

_**~The next morning~**_

The sun was barely up yet, and the only sound that could be heard is the sound of Luffy's raspy snoring, and yet the crew didn't seem at all bother by it…until…

"Good morning, everyone~!" Brook called. "How about we start this wondrous morning off with a wake-up piece!"

And soon, Brook began to play his violin and sing his "wake up song", and needless to say, everyone was less than happy about.

"SHUT UP!" Zoro shouted.

"The sun's not even awake yet, Brook!" Sanji added.

"Let us sleep a little bit longer!" Franky barked.

Luffy was heard hacking out a snore.

"Forget Brook! SOMEONE STOP LUFFY'S SNORING!" Nami shouted.

Later that morning, after getting a few more hours of rest, the Straw Hats are now awake and eating breakfast. Everybody discussed what they should do about the calm weather. Franky suggested using the paddles, but Nami decided against it. The weather was only going to be calm for the day, so there was no need. To Franky, that sounded like good news, since he could be able to save some of his cola. For some reason, Brook just chuckled.

Luffy just sat at the table, eating a plate full of meat.

"Yummy!" he exclaimed through food-stuffed cheeks. "Sanji's cooking is always the best!"

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed.

"Huh?" Chopper muttered.

_What's Brook chuckling about?_ Blizzard thought as he ate his peanut butter toast.

"Robin, my dear," Sanji said as he held out a salad to the archeologist. "Would you like a second helping of your seafood salad."

"Yes, please," Robin said. "Thank you."

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed, again.

"What's with you, Brook?" asked Usopp.

"You've been laughing since this morning," Zoro said.

"Did you see something funny, Brook?" Luffy asked.

"Don't talk with your mouthful, Luffy," Nami scolded.

"Sorry," Luffy said before swallowing.

"Yesterday, while he was on watch duty," Chopper said, "he found our logbook."

"That's right!" Brook exclaimed. "I just happened to come across it! To be truthful, I was quite shocked! My excitement from Thriller Bark had yet to subside, but for you all, that was just the tip of the iceberg. You stopped a civil war in the Sand Country of Alabasta, you ventured into the legendary Sky Island, and to top it all off, you pulled off the amazing feat of making the World Government your enemy in Water 7! Not to mention the recruitment of Mister Blizzard! I was so shocked, that I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest! Ah, wait…but I have no heart. Yohohohoho!"

Robin chuckled while Nami sighed.

"You're right," Nami said, "but now, I'm not sure what else to write in it."

"Brook will be added into the logbook, right Nami?" Chopper asked, excitedly.

"Ah, yes!" Brook exclaimed as he stood up. "Since I have joined you all, I feel like I have done nothing to help!"

"I can understand that you're excited," Nami said, "but here's a piece of friendly advice for you, so listen carefully."

"I am all ears, Miss Nami," Brook said, "even though I don't have ears."

"In this crew, you can't let your guard down during a meal, even for a second," Nami said.

"Ah, yes! Of course!" Brook said. "When it comes to a fight, I am known as 'Quick Draw' Brook! I will not let my guard down, even for a moment!"

"Well…it's a little late for that, don't you think?" Robin asked.

"Nami didn't mean it like that, Brook," Usopp said.

"Eh?" Brook muttered before he noticed that Luffy had caught sight of his breakfast.

"Those noodles are mine!" the Straw Hat Captain exclaimed before he stretched his arms and grabbed the whole plate of noodles with his two forks.

"Wait!" Brook cried. "That's mine! Mister Luffy!"

Too late. Luffy had already put the noodles in his mouth.

"Yum~!"

"Ahh…!" Brook sighed, a tear forming in his eyes. "I only let my guard down for just a moment." He then stood up. "I understand now! I shall work myself to the bone until I have truly become one of you as soon as possible! Ah, but I was nothing but bone to begin with."

_Why do I have this feeling that it's not gonna go as well as he thinks it is?_ Blizzard thought. _I better keep an eye on him, just to be on the safe side._

XXX

After breakfast, everyone went on to do their usual routine. Sanji was in the kitchen, pouring some tea into a little tea pot while Brook is standing at the sink, washing the dishes. It seemed that he got a bit carried away with the soap, considering that the suds are practically all over the counter.

"Oh, Mister Sanji!" Brook called.

"No, I don't have another job for you," Sanji said. "I understand you're eager, but it's already fine that you're washing the dishes. That way, I can bring Nami her tea."

"I'm especially looking forward to helping everyone if trouble happens to arise," Brook said, "but for now, I wish to help everyone with even the littlest things."

"That's mighty nice of you," Sanji said.

Blizzard peeked inside the kitchen and saw the suds that had bubbled up around the sink, as well as the tall stack of plates that looked taller than even Brook.

_Ooh, boy,_ he thought. _That's a disaster waiting to happen._

"I'm just a skeleton who just wishes to help with the little things, one step a time!" Brook said. "Yohohohoho!"

Sanji chuckled before he picked up the tea tray.

"Well, I'm gonna bring Nami her tea now," he said as he prepared to leave.

"Uh, Mister Sanji," Brook said, holding the stack of plates. "Where do I put these?"

"Oh, put them over there," Sanji said as he looked to the opposite counter. "I'll put 'em away later."

"Can do," Brook said, but as he took his first step, he accidentally stepped into some slippery soap suds, causing him to lose his balance! The skeleton tottered, as did the plates, as he tried to keep them from falling.

"Oh! Oh! Oh, my!" he cried.

"You drop those plates and you're dead!" Sanji shouted.

"Technically, I'm already dead, Mister Sanji!" Brook remarked.

_What did I say?_ Blizzard asked, mentally. _A disaster waiting to happen!_

Suddenly, Brook accidentally tossed all the dishes into the air!

"Dammit!" Sanji cursed as he handed Brook the tray. "Hold this, will ya?!"

Then, he got on his hands and began to kick the dishes (not breaking them, of course), before he caught them all in separate stacks. He even caught one in his mouth.

"That was amazing!" Brook exclaimed.

"It was not, idiot!" Sanji barked, his voice muffled as he tried to balance the plates on his arms, hands, and kneecap.

"Oh…since you're busy, I can just deliver Miss Nam her tea in your place," Brook said before he left. "Cheerio."

"Wait! Hang on!" Sanji cried. "That's supposed to be MY job!"

But it was too late. Brook was already gone, and Blizzard, not wanting to stick around to see what happened if the cook accidentally dropped all the dishes, decided to follow him to the library, where Nami is working on her next map.

As they went outside, Blizzard noticed Zoro hopping around while carrying a 1-ton dumbbell over his shoulders.

_Okay…since when did Zoro become a frog?_ Blizzard thought.

"Oh, Miss Nami!" Brook called. "I've brought you your tea!"

"Come on in," Nami answered.

With that, Brook soon opened the door and said, "May I please have a look at your pan-"

**BAP!** The skeleton was soon interrupted by a book thrown to his skull.

"That again!?" Nami questioned.

Blizzard peeked inside the room, his instincts telling him to keep his distance, not from Brook…but from Nami. Why, he didn't know…yet.

At that moment, as Brook poured Nami a fresh cup of tea, he noticed her drawing on her map.

"I see you're drawing a map," he said.

"Yep," Nami replied. "We've been pretty busy as of late, but now that the weather is calm, I decided now would be a good chance to work on my charts."

She then took a sip of her tea.

"…According to Mister Luffy," Brook began, "he says that you want to draw a map of the whole world, don't you?"

"That's right," Nami answered. "With my navigation skills, I'll travel all the seas and draw map of every island I've seen with my own eyes…with Luffy's help, that is."

"How wonderful!" Brook said. "If there is anything I can do to be of help, please don't hesitate to ask! Oh!" He picked up the teapot. "Would you like a refill?"

"Yes, please," Nami said. "Thank you."

Brook took the teacup and began to fill it with tea.

"For now, just the thought is more than enough," Nami said.

"Oh, Miss Nami," Brook said, sounding close to tears as he continued pouring Nami her tea. "You're simply too kind!"

"Now hang on," Nami said, "that's a little too much, don't you think?"

"Oh, no, I mean it!" Brook said.

_Uh…I don't think she means the compliments,_ Blizzard thought.

Suddenly, Brook yelped when he felt the hot tea spilling on his bony fingers and accidentally dropped the teapot and cup to the floor. He was so distracted by his conversation with Nami, he didn't realize he had poured too much tea into the cup, causing it to overflow.

"Are you okay, Brook?!" Nami asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Brook answered. "I simply burned my finger is all. Ah, but I don't really have any skin to burn. Yohohoho!"

Nami sighed before she turned to finish her map…only to find that the tea had spilled all over it!

"Oh, no!" she cried. "My map!"

"Oh, dear! What have I done?!" Brook cried before he took out a handkerchief and tried to clean it off. "Here! Allow me to clean it up for you!"

_And…I'm gone,_ Blizzard thought as he turned and ran away.

"Ta-dah!" Brook exclaimed as he held up the map…which is now smudged. "Nice and clean."

3…2…1…

"YOU IDIOT~!"

Brook screamed as he ran out of the library, away from Nami's fury.

"PLEASE EXCUSE ME~!" he cried.

Zoro, who is still hopping around while holding his dumbbell on his shoulders, could only watch in confusion.

Brook panted as he went out on deck with Blizzard following behind him.

"Ha…at this rate, it feels like I haven't really been of much help," the skeleton said.

_If you ask me, I think you might be trying a little too hard,_ Blizzard thought.

"Hey, Brook! Blizzard!"

Blizzard and Brook looked up to see Luffy up on the upper deck, holding a piece of meat-on-the-bone.

"Mister Luffy?" Brook asked.

_Is he STILL eating?_ Blizzard thought. _Why am I not surprised? I bet even after he's done eating that, he'll still be hungry._

Luffy pointed his thumb to Usopp and Franky, who are standing next to what looked like a complex cannon with a cockpit.

"Usopp and Franky made something really cool," the Captain said. "You should come and check it out!"

_Oh, god, do I have to?_ Blizzard asked in thought.

"A-alright," Brook said before he and Blizzard made their way up to the upper deck. There, they soon saw Chopper, who is sitting next to some plants on some sheets.

"Mister Chopper, what are you doing here?" Brook asked.

"Oh, my medicinal herbs needed drying," Chopper said. "Since it's a sunny day outside, I figured it would be the perfect time to dry them out."

Blizzard sighed as he lied down next to Chopper.

"You guys made it just in time," Luffy said, munching on his meat. "Usopp is about to test out Franky's new weapon!"

As he said this, Franky poured a barrel of cola into a funnel attached to the cannon.

"There we go," he said. "This weapon of mine uses cola for fuel. I call it the High Force Energy Super Franky Cannon! Compared to a regular cannon, this baby's accuracy and strength are at least ten times more powerful!"

"And that plus my incredible sniping skills equals one hell of a monstrous combination!" Usopp declared as he sat in the cockpit.

_This I gotta see,_ Blizzard thought.

"Oh, my, this is so exciting!" Brook said. "I can feel my heart pumping!"

"I know, right?" Luffy asked. "Shishishi!"

"You know, if there is anything you need assistance with, please don't hesitate to ask me!" Brook said.

_Maybe you should try and stop with the helping,_ Blizzard thought, worriedly. _Seriously._

"Well, since you asked," Franky said, "you think you could go down to the storage room and get another barrel of cola, just to be safe, Bones?"

"That, I can do!" Brook said. "Be back in two shakes of a wolf-dog's tail! Yohohoho!"

With that, the skeleton headed down to the storage room, where he saw many barrels. Naturally, he picked up the first one he saw when he went in.

"This must be it, here," he said before he went back to Franky. "Here we are! A fresh barrel of cola!"

_Uh…I'm not so sure that's cola,_ Blizzard thought.

"Just pour it into that funnel, there," Franky told him.

Brook nodded before he pour what looked like cola into the cannon's funnel.

"Okay!" Franky said. "We're all set!" He then pointed out to sea. "Aim for that rocky outcrop, Bro Long Nose!"

"Got it! Locked on target!" Usopp said as he pulled down his goggles and began to pedal on the cannon's pedals, thus building up pressure.

The cannon's pump went up and down, and Chopper and Blizzard quickly covered their ears while Luffy and Brook anticipated a huge explosion…but nothing happened.

"Huh?" Usopp questioned. "What's going on?"

"Well that's weird," Franky said. "Try and add some more pressure, Usopp."

"Here goes nothing!" Usopp said as he tried to fire the cannon once more, but the pump started going faster, steam started coming out, the cannon began shaking, and the needle on the pressure gauge went way into the red!

_Oh, man, that's not good!_ Blizzard thought.

"W-w-what's going on?!" Usopp questioned.

"GET BACK!" Franky shouted. "SHE'S GONNA BLOW!"

**KABOOM!** The cannon exploded, causing the cola to come bursting out and spilling all over the place, and everyone there!

"Ah, crap," Usopp cursed. "That was a freaking disaster!"

"What the hell happened?!" Franky questioned.

Suddenly, Luffy licked the "cola" off his cheek.

"Hmm…you know this cola tastes a little salty," he said.

"Hey, he's right," Chopper said. "It tastes like there's something mixed with it."

_That's because it's not cola,_ Blizzard thought.

"Oh, dear," Brook muttered. "I do believe this is soy sauce."

A pause.

"…What's everyone looking at me like that for?" Brook asked.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB, BASTARD!" Franky barked. "YOU MIXED UP THE COLA AND SOY SAUCE, DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Oh, my!" Brook said. "So that's what that was! Sorry, that was on an honest mistake on my part."

"MISTAKE, MY ASS!" Franky shouted as he began to chase Brook with the soy barrel. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE DIDN'T YOU! I'LL TEACH YOU!"

Brook screamed as the shipwright kept chasing him while Luffy laughed.

"This guy is hilarious!" he said.

"Ah, man! Look at this mess!" Usopp complained. "My clothes are soaked through, dammit all!"

"And it looks like I have to wipe off all my herbs," Chopper said, looking at his soy-soaked herbs.

_And I just took a bath yesterday!_ Blizzard thought, looking at the soy stains on his fur.

"Mm~! Yum!" Luffy said, eating his meat. "This soy sauce goes great with meat!"

"Nothing really fazes you, huh?" Usopp asked, sweat-dropping.

XXX

A while later, Franky had finally stopped chasing Brook, who is staggering across the deck in exasperation.

"Oh, what a day," Brook said. "No matter what I do, everything seems to backfire on me."

At that moment, he saw Luffy heading to the bathhouse with Blizzard, who is still covered in soy sauce, in his arms.

"Ah, Mister Luffy, where are you going?" Brook asked.

"Oh, I gotta give Blizzard a bath," Luffy said. "He already took one yesterday, but now that he got dirty again, he needs to take another one."

"Um…do you mind if I help you?" Brook asked.

_Oh, no,_ Blizzard thought, whimpering dreadfully. _Please don't let him help, please don't let him-_

"Well, since you asked, sure," Luffy said.

_Why do I even hope anymore?_ Blizzard asked mentally.

With that, Luffy and Brook took Blizzard to the bathhouse to give him a bath.

"Okay, I just gotta fill up the tub," Luffy said as he turned the hot and cold water on and let the tub fill up. As he did, Blizzard began to struggle out of Brook's grasp.

"N-now, now, Mister Blizzard!" Brook said. "A bath's not that bad!"

"Oh, yeah," Luffy said. "He doesn't like taking a bath very much, so he's gonna try and squirm a lot." He then grabbed Blizzard and picked him up, preparing to put him in the tub.

"Okay, buddy, time to get clean," he said as he tried to put Blizzard in the tub, but the wolf-dog pressed his paws up against the edge. "Oh, Blizzard! Stop it, already! You need a bath!"

_I already took a bath!_ Blizzard thought.

"Allow me," Brook said as he tried to get Blizzard in the tub as well, pushing on Luffy's back while the Captain pushed the wolf-dog's backside. "Into the tub you go, Mister Blizzard!"

"Be a good boy!" Luffy said, grunting.

Blizzard growled as he kept pushing paws up against the tub, refusing to get in. Just then, Blizzard managed to pull himself out of Luffy's grasp, and Brook was pushing on Luffy so hard, the Captain ended up falling into the tub, followed by the musician!

Blizzard, on the other hand, just ended up running away.

The two Devil Fruit users sat in the tub, soaking wet.

"Sometimes I forget how smart Blizzard is," Luffy said.

"Sorry, Mister Luffy," Brook said. "It appears I've made a muddle of things."

"It's okay," Luffy said. "It's not easy giving Blizzard a bath…but I think I can handle him by myself. I appreciate you trying to help anyway."

With that, Luffy pulled himself out of the tub and went out to look for Blizzard, leaving Brook by himself.

XXX

After about 15 minutes, Brook came out of the bathhouse and dried himself off. Still…he didn't appear at all satisfied with trying to help Luffy giving Blizzard a bath. In fact, he didn't seem satisfied with anything he had done to help his friends, today. He sighed.

"What am I going to do?" he asked.

Suddenly, he spotted Zoro, still hopping along the ship with his dumbbell on his shoulders, and almost immediately, the skeleton seemed to have one last glimmer of hope.

"Err…Mister Zoro," he called, getting the swordsman's attention.

"Yeah?" Zoro asked. "What's up?"

XXX

A little while later, Brook is in the Crow's Nest with Zoro, who is now swinging a barbell up and down, like a sword. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stared in awe at the green-haired swordsman's display of physical prowess, but then he put on a determined expression…that is, if he had skin on his face.

"Now is not the time to be admiring him!" Brook said. "I, too, am a swordsman! I must train hard as well!"

Soon, Zoro stopped swinging his barbell and sat down on the floor, eyes closed, legs crossed, and hands in his lap

"I see," Brook said as he took the same position. "So you're meditating: controlling your mental state until you've reached a blank slate in your mind. Perhaps I shall join you."

And soon, the two swordsmen sat together in meditation…until…

"…Pardon me, Mister Zoro."

"Hmm?"

"Well…I know I shouldn't disturb you and everything…"

"Actually, I don't really care."

"Well…you see…"

"Spit it out, already!"

"…I need to use the bathroom."

"Why the hell are you asking my permission?! Just go already!"

"Well, I would if I could…but…I can't. My legs fell asleep and now I can't get up!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE MUSCLES!"

"Oh, please hurry, Mister Zoro! I don't think I can hold it in much longer!"

"Dammit! Hang on! I'll take you there!"

With that, the frazzled Zoro picked Brook and hurried to the toilet. Of course, he tripped on some of his training equipment on the way there. He even accidentally stubbed his toe against one of his weights.

XXX

After he had relieved himself, Brook is now sitting on a box on the aft deck. However, it seemed that he had all but given up on his efforts.

"It seems that no matter what I do, I only end up being a nuisance," Brook said as he put his hands to his afro. "Ha…what a bad day I seem to be having."

Just then, he spotted Robin, watering her flower garden.

"Ah…Miss Robin," he said as he got up and approached her, albeit hesitantly. "Um…is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hmm…not at the moment, Brook," Robin answered. "I appreciate you asking, though."

"…I see," Brook said, sadly before he turned and walk away. "Thank you for your time."

"Brook."

The skeleton turned to look at the archeologist upon hearing his name.

"Why do you seem so unsettled?" Robin asked.

"U-unsettled, you say?"

"You act almost like you're afraid of something. Am I wrong?"

"No…you're far from it. It is just as you have described. I am unsettled, scared, and I just can't take anymore!"

A pregnant pause came.

"…When Mister Luffy asked me to join up with his crew, I was…well…words fail to describe how happy I was! And…when we all defeated the dreaded Oz together, as a team…I felt so proud!"

_Flashback_

Brook had just finished playing Binks' Sake on the piano, and then looked at Luffy, who is lying on top of it.

"Oh, one more thing," the skeleton said. "Is it all right if I join your crew?"

"Sure," Luffy answered. "Why not?"

"SO QUICK!" the Straw Hats, except Robin and an unconscious Zoro, shouted in shock.

_Flashback end_

"…But now," Brook said, "I'm started to wonder if it was really all right that I joined. Since we are heading for the New World…it is a well-known fact that we will be facing impossibly strong enemies! What would happen if I were unable to help you all…and just hold you back in the end? If something like that ever happened…I would be forced to leave this ship."

Robin stared at Brook, silently.

"That's what I'm afraid of, most of all," Brook said, dejectedly. "That I would have to return to living alone for years on end."

"…I understand," Robin said. "I used to be that way, too."

"Huh?"

"I used to be very insecure, just like you. I used to think that I wasn't suitable to be one of them…and that's why…I was willing to give up my life for their sake."

As Robin said this, memories of Enies Lobby began to fill her mind.

"…I thought that by doing so…that would be enough to make me one of them," she said.

"…Miss Robin," Brook muttered. "I can't believe that you would…"

"But that turned out to be a mistake on my part."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"True comrades aren't like that."

"…Miss Robin…?"

Just then, as if on cue, Blizzard appeared, his fur cleaned of all the soy sauce, and Robin smiled and gently scratched under the wolf-dog's chin.

"I'm sure Blizzard felt insecure about joining Luffy, too," she said, "but he got used to things pretty quickly."

"…" Brook was quiet.

"Don't worry about at thing, Brook," Robin said, smiling as she turned to leave. "You'll be fine…I'm sure of it."

Brook just watched as the archeologist left, but then, Luffy came leaping over the railing.

"Hey, Brook!" he said. "Blizzard's all done with his bath, as you can see!"

"Mister Luffy…" Brook murmured.

"Anyway, come on!" Luffy said. "It's lunchtime! Sanji's making a big feast with all kinds of food from the sea! It's gonna be yummy! C'mon!"

With that, Luffy dashed to the galley to eat.

"Wait, Mister Luffy!" Brook called, forcing Luffy to stop.

"What are you waiting for?" Luffy asked. "Hurry up before it gets cold!"

_Yeah, Sanji hates it when food gets wasted,_ Blizzard thought.

"Mister Luffy, please," Brook said. "I must know…am I really good enough? Was it really all right that I joined up with you?! Please! I must know!"

"Yeah, it's okay," Luffy said.

"Oh, come now, that was much too easy!" Brook said, flailing about. "I-I…"

"If I said it's okay, then it's okay!" Luffy said. "Don't worry about it!"

Brook stared at Luffy in surprise.

"Shishishishishi!" the captain laughed, but then, **Guuuurrrrrglle!** His stomach started rumbling.

"Oops," Luffy said. "Tummy's talking, and right now it's telling me…"

**Grrrruuuummblle!**

"Shishishi! Lunchtime! Hurry up, Brook, or you won't get any! C'mon, Blizzard! Race ya!"

With that, Luffy and Blizzard hurried off to the galley, leaving Brook standing there, completely taken back by the Captain's words. After a moment…he seemed to chuckle to himself before he joined the others in the galley to eat a delicious seafood feast that Sanji cooked.

It was lively, as always. Luffy was stuffing his face with shrimp and fish, and Usopp teased Chopper by scaring him with a large fish head, although this was quickly reprimanded by Sanji, who would tolerate his shenanigans during a meal. Zoro ignored the antics going on about him as he ate his sushi, and Blizzard occasionally ate whatever scraps he could get. Franky, Nami, and Robin sat by, chatting idly as they ate, and as Sanji brought more food, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper stared with wide, sparkling eyes, drooling mouths, and growling stomachs. Of course, Luffy tried to snatch it all, which caused Nami to start yelling at him.

Brook just sat by, surprisingly laughing at the events that transpired during the meal, and Robin seemed to smile, as well.

Eventually, everyone was satisfied, and once lunch was over, they all went back to doing their usual routines. Brook himself had decided that he had been trying a bit too hard and that he should just enjoy himself. After all, this was a day to relax.

He sat down on the mast with a nice hot cup of tea and looked up at the sky. He could hear the calm splashing of the waves below and saw the seagulls flying high above the ship.

"It appears that even the Straw Hat Pirates can have a calm such as this," the skeleton thought aloud.

Not long after…he fell asleep. As he did, he could hear the sound of footsteps running across the deck.

"C'mon, Usopp! Let's go fishing for some dinner!"

"Count me in!"

As Brook snoozed and Luffy and Usopp went to fish, the musician thought to himself how many years…no…how many decades it has been since he had been able to take an afternoon nap so comfortably like the one he was having right now. He remembered how he would fall asleep and dream about the time he had spent with his fallen comrades or Laboon, and whenever he awoke, all he saw was the lonely old ship he sailed on for those long, lonely years.

In those days…sleep was never a peaceful thing…but now, if he would listen carefully while he slept…he could hear the many sounds of his new crewmates.

He would hear the sound of Nami and Robin chatting in the Aquarium Bar as they looked at a shopping catalogue for clothes.

He would hear the sound of Chopper grinding up medicine in the sick bay.

He could hear the sound of Sanji in the kitchen, boiling some broth for some soup for dinner later tonight and tasting it.

He could hear Franky banging on a sheet of metal with his hammer down below deck.

He could hear Zoro swinging his barbell up and down in the Crow's Nest.

He could hear the sound of Blizzard chewing on his rubber squeaky bone inside the men's quarters.

He could hear the sound of Luffy and Usopp snoring as they sat on the railing while holding their fishing rods. He could even hear the faint sound of Luffy's ever-hungry stomach grumbling.

Yes…Brook was peaceful in his sleep, knowing that he had friends close by. Even though he had died before and he is nothing but bones now…

…he is truly happy to be alive.

XXX

That evening, as the sun began to set…the sound of a violin playing Binks' Brew is heard throughout the _Sunny_. The Straw Hats, except for Luffy and Usopp, who are still snoozing, looked up, but they didn't ask who could be playing the music, for they knew very well…that it is Brook, who is indeed playing the song on his violin, slowly and beautifully.

"This short time that we have now," Brook began, "is no doubt just a little break time until our next adventure. Yes…for now…it's time to rest these old bones of mine. Yohohoho…!"

He then looked up into the sky as he played.

"Laboon…it seems that next time we meet…I will have many a tale to tell. All I hope…is that you are still waiting for me…and that you look forward to hearing it, my friend."

All of a sudden…the wind suddenly started to pick up and quickly filled the sails and caused the Straw Hat Flag to flutter.

"…The wind…?" Brook questioned.

Just then, the Straw Hats came out on deck.

"Looks like the wind's finally picked up," Franky said.

"Everybody," Brook muttered.

"Well, guys," said Luffy, who had finally woken up along with Usopp. "Looks like it's that time again! Time to get going!"

_We've rested long enough,_ Blizzard thought.

"All right," Luffy said. "Let's set sail~!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" the Straw Hats shouted.

"I, too, shall work myself to the bone and put my body on the line!" Brook said. "Even though I'm just a skeleton, so I don't have a body! YOHOHOHOHO!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Finally! I got this up!

For my friend, gamePsycho11! Thank you for encouraging me, my nakama!

Review, please!


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